While the PS5 release date looks set to be one of the big console announcements on the horizon, some analysts believe it could be beaten to the punch.
Sony’s PS4 and PS4 Pro games consoles are currently selling well, with the company confirming that it has now reached over 70m units sold.
As of right now, the PS4 has cumulatively sold through more than 70.6M units to consumers worldwide, with more than 617.8 million copies of PS4 games sold at retail stores globally and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store.
“We are delighted that so many people are enjoying the unique entertainment proposition of PlayStation 4 and that an emerging technology like PlayStation VR continues to gain traction,” said Andrew House, Chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
“I cannot thank our fans and partners enough. Their support, since the launch of very first PlayStation in 1994, has helped to make PlayStation one of the biggest console gaming networks in the world.
“We will continue to work closely with partners to maintain this momentum and remain steadfast in making PS4 the best place to play.”
And based on growing information like this, many analysts believe that the PS5 release date will now not arrive until 2019/2020.
The PS4 Pro has been pegged as a way for Sony to extend the life of the current PlayStation generation, much the same thing that could happen with Microsoft and its Xbox One X.
So what about the Nintendo Switch?
Well much like how Microsoft and Sony have used the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X to refresh their brand, the same is expected to happen with the Switch.
Reports suggest that a Nintendo Switch Mini could be launched in the coming years, possibly before the launch of the PS5.
While not something that is set to happen right away, some analysts have backed Nintendo to create a new smaller device to launch as soon as 2019.
This latest report is from Citigroup, who apparently cite the younger audience the Nintendo Switch will attract as a driving factor behind a smaller device being unveiled.
The fiscal year through March 2019 would be the earliest we could see something new launch under the umbrella of the Switch brand, according to analysts including Minami Munakata, Kota Ezawa and Alicia Yap.
“Although the Nintendo Switch can be used as a handheld device, we think smaller children could struggle to use it comfortably in that format due to its size and weight,” the analysts wrote in a April 13 report.
“Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini.”
Other predictions were also made in connection with the Nintendo Switch Mini, including that it could sell 6.7 million units in the 12 months through March 2019, while the regular model could sell 25.7 million units by then too.
The idea wouldn’t be a radical move away from what Nintendo have done with past handheld models, while the continuing popularity of the console could help to bring the manufacturing costs down in the future.
It’s also been a console trend for quite some time that a new version of the same device would be released, boasting a smaller size and a lighter weight design.
The Switch is expected to continue the strong sales trend it started in 2017, with some analysts now believing it could even reach the same numbers as the Wii.
And while there has been talk of the PS5 launching in 2019, it seems likely that Sony would want it to arrive later in the year, closer to the holidays.
It would certainly make for an interesting development, for the next generation of consoles to arrive at the same time as a new Switch device.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has also said that they believes the PS5 release date is a “minimum of two years away”.
This would mean the PlayStation 5 could come out in 2019 at the earliest, giving the PS4 a lifespan of six years.
Guillemot also said he believes the next Xbox will also come out at the same time as the PS5.
“As Sony launched PlayStation 4 Pro last year and Microsoft Xbox One X this year, we think we still have a minimum of two years in front of us before something new is coming,” he said during an earnings report.
“But that’s our perception, we don’t have any confidential information on that front.”